Venetian blind



Jan. 11, 1938. NEUMANN 2,104,907

VENETIAN BLIND Filed July 6, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet l Egg Zara aw W477i] A Jan. 11, 1938. D. NEUMANN 2,104,907

VENETIAN BLIND Filed July 6, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1' ME 70 .1 1: Zen/a fizz/2774277 I Jan. 11, 1938. D. NEUMANN VENETIAN BLIND Filed July 6, 1936 A further feature of the present Patented Jan. 11, 1938 AU'NIVTED STATES PATENT OFFICE mam...

David Neumann, mileage, Ill.

BCIaims.

1 out at. the present time constitutes fire hazards and also require constant cleaning, and at the same time do not lend themselves very readily to decorations of such character as to harmonize with surrounding decorative matter of the room 5 or rooms in which installed.

An'object of the present invention is to provide a'Venetian blind construction, wherein the slats are of thin sheet metal suitably reinforced so as not to bend under ordinary conditions of use, together with reinforced tilting bar and bottom bar, and in addition, the utilization of a spring roller for collapsing or closing the blind.

' Another object of the present invention is to provide a Venetian blind construction wherein the tilting and bottom bars are of metallic construc- I tion, suitably reinforced, and each of which bars carries certain parts of the operating mechanism of the blind.

' A further object of the present invention is to provide sheet metal slats suitably reinforced.

Still another object of the present invention 40 is to provide a bottom bar with protruding, endwise movable members which cooperate with stop members formed \in the guides for the bottom bar, whereby the bottom bar may be latched in any desired vertical position.

The present invention contemplates as an ad ditional'object the provision of a Venetian blind construction wherein a. headerbar carries the spring roller and wherein the tilting bar, bottom bar and intervening slats are all so associated with the header that the blind as a unit may be applied to or removed from'a frame.

Another and still further object of the present invention is to employ flat metallic strips as the lifting elements for the blind. x to provide a Venetian blind so that all parts of it may be suitably decorated, as by painting or by plating, such as nickel or chromium plating, to harmonize with a decorative scheme of a room in which'the blind or blinds may be installed. 5

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a Venetian blind construction wherein the component parts are of sheet metal and adaptedto the usual type of suspension, and which at the same time eliminates the blind as a 10 fire hazard and also permits suitable decoration thereof to suit the user's taste.

The above, other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the folpartially in end elevation, looking at the right hand of Figure 1, wherein the window frame parts 25 are shown in section and the blind parts in end elevation.

Figure 3 is a fragmental enlarged view of one of the guides for the bottom bar, showing a plurality of lugs struck out from the guide and 30 serving as stops for engagement by'cooperating members on the bottom bar, and showing in section one of the cooperating parts in engagement with one of the lugs to hold the blind in desired open position. 35

Figure 4 is a fragmental top elevational view of the headerof the present invention, showing the spring roller partially in plan and partially in section, which illustrates details of construction. a Figure 5 is a plan view of the underside of on of the metallic slats of the present invention indicated by the 'line VII-VII of Figure 1, show- 50 ing in full lines the positions occupied by the tilting bar, bottom bar and slats when the blind is extended or opened and the slats are in horizontal position, and showing in dotted lines the slats tilted in one direction to illustrate the manvent inward hinging action of the links whenner in which the blind may be moved so that the slats overlap one another to prevent openings through the blind.

Figure 8 is an elevational. view of one of the two-part links utilized'for connecting together the slats of the blind.

Figure 9 is an end elevation, looking at the right hand end of the arrangement of Figure 1, showing the header and its supporting bracket and showing a wheel which is attached to the tilting bar for tilting it to change the angularity of the slatsof the blind and showing one form of tiltingthe bar or oscillating the wheel.

Figure 10 is a fragmental elevational view of the joint between the two members of the connecting links showing the arrangement of the stops to limit the hinging movement of the members of the links in such direction as would prethe blind is moved to closed position.

Figure 11 is a fragmental front elevation showing the manner in which the header is supported in its bracket and in turn the mannerin which the tilting bar is supported by the header.

Figure 15 is a fragmentalvertical sectional view through one end of the bottom bar showing one of its latching members inengagement with one of the lugs of a guideway for latching the blind in open position.

Figure 16 is an enlarged fragmentalvertical sectional view showing the preferred manner of attaching one of the lifting tapes of metal to the bottom bar.

The drawings will now be explained. Referring to Figure l, A indicates a window frame of conventional construction in which is mounted a'Venetian blind constructed in accordance with the principlesof the present invention.

The blind of the present invention comprises a header designated generally as B, a tilting bar designated generally as C, a'bottom bar designated generally asD, and a plurality of slats designated generally as E.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be observed that the header B is constructed in the form of an open box having a bottom I, a rear side wall 2 and a front side wall 3. The ends are open. For removably mounting the header B in a frame A,

brackets F are utilized. The brackets F are made as right hand and left hand for application, respectively, to the right hand and left hand stiles of the frame adjacent the top of the frame. Figure- 11 illustrates a left hand bracket which is fashioned of sheet metal suitably formed to provide a rear attaching plate I which is secured by means of screws passing through holes 5.

Extending forwardly fromthe plate I is an end plate 6 from which a horizontally projecting shelf 1 is fashioned.

Referring to Figure 9, the left hand bracket F there appearing shows the plate 6 and the leg 1. The right hand bracket is of similar construction except, of course, with the angular relationship of the parts 5 and 'i reversed.

Within the header B, a spring roller G is supported for rotative movement in both directions. In the roller, axially thereof, 1.? a rod 8 which at one end of the roller, the right hand end as viewed in Figure 4, projects beyond the end of the roller and enters a circular opening 9 in a bracket Ill which is suitably fastened to the bottom 8 of the header. A nut H or other fastening means is employed to fix the relative position of the rod 8 and the roller G. The other end of the roller G is provided with a cap which is centrally apertured to receive the hub I3 of a member extending through the aperture outwardly of the cap. I At the inner end of the hub I3 is a head It to rest against the interior of the cap l2 and to serve as 'an abutment for one end of a coiled spring l5, which spring is wound about the rod 8 and, somewhere within the length of the roller G is fastened to the roller. The head 14 and hub l3 are bored to receive the extremity of the rod 8 projecting beyond the roller G at this end, where the projection is flattened to provide a rectangular end l6 which enters a slot I'I formed in a plate I8 suitably secured to the bottom I of. the header B adjacent the left hand end of the roller G. The engagement of the flattened end l6 of the rod 8 prevents rotative movement of the rod, so that whenever the roller G is rotated about the rod, in operation, the spring I5 is tightened or loosened depending on the direction of rotation. The spring I5 is so coiled as to cause rotation of the roller G in a direction, normally, to raise the screen to closed position.

Wound about the roller G, in axially spaced relation, are two fiat metallic straps l9 and 20, the inner ends of which are suitably fastened to the roller G, and the outer ends of which pass through-suitably disposed apertures 2| and 22, respectiv ely,'of the slats E. The lower ends of the straps are secured to the bottom bar D in a manner to be later explained.

The tilting bar C is illustrated as fashioned from two halves 24 and 25, one of which, 25, appears in plan in Figure 12. These members 24 and 25 are preferably semi-elliptic in end ele-, vation, and along their margins are provided with eyes 28 which are axially spaced to serve as hinges for receiving connecting hinge pins 21 and 28 for joining together the halves. 24 and 25. It is to be understood that the hinges 26 of the half 24 will interfit between the hinges 26 of the half 25.

In order to afiord intermediate transverse reinforcements for the tilting bar C, plates 29 and 38 are inserted in axially spaced relationship, and each plate is apertured at 3| to provide openings through which the metallic straps I9 and 28 may pass. These plates are suitably secured in position against endwise movement. Suitably fastened to the plates 29 and 311 is a centrally disposed pipe, rodor similar reinforcement member 32 which thus maintains these plates in fixed position relatively to each other. Referring to Figure 12, extending to the left from the plate 29 is a similar reinforcement member 33 which stops short of the extremity of the tilting bar. In like manner, extending to the right from the plate 30 is a similar reinforcing member 34, which likewise stops short of this end of the bar.

For closing the ends of the bar C, after the plates 29 and 38 and the reinforcing members 32, 33 and 34 have been inserted, blocks 35 and 36 suitably shaped to enter the ends of the tilting bar C are inserted, the inner faces of each of said blocks being bored as at 31 and 38 to receive the ends of the reinforcing members 33 and 34, respectively. It will thus be observed that the tilting bar C is provided with transverse as Well as longitudinal reinforcements.

Projecting from the outer face of the block 35 and in axial alignment with the reinforcements 32, 33 and 34, is a stud 39 having a part 40, a reduced intermediate part 4| and an end part 42. Preferably, the diameters of the parts 40 and 42 are the same, while the diameter of the part 4| is less than the diameters of the parts 42 and 40.

' Projecting outwardly from the outer face of the block 36 is a stub shaft 43 which has attached to it, by means of a key 44, a wheel 45. The wheel 45 is provided with a hub 46 which surrounds a portion of the stub shaft 43, as may be readily observed in Figure 12. The periphery of the wheel is grooved at 41 to receive a bight of a cord or cable 48 about a portion of the periphery of the wheel, which cable is secured to the wheel by means of a screw 49, as may be observed in Figures 9 and 12, to prevent slippage of the cable with respect to the wheel. The wheel is provided for the purpose of tilting the bar C, and the cable 48 is provided for oscillating the wheel, depending on which of the ends of the cable is pulled by the operator.

Referring to Figure 11, a bracket H, which in 'front elevation is right angular, has its horizontal leg 58 attached 'to the leg -1 of the bracket F and also extends beyond the leg I to underlie a portion of the header 13. Its vertical leg depends and is provided with a horizontal slot 52 which fits over a part of the reduced diameter portion of the stud, when the tilting bar is in place. The jaws fit against the end portion 42 of the stud to lock the tilting bar against endwise movement. This arrangement may be readily observed in Figures 6 and 11.

A similar bracket is secured to the bracket F at the opposite end of the frame, which bracket has a depending portion 55 with an aperture 58 in it to receive the stub shaft 4; of the tilting bar C, as may be observed in Figure 12. After the stub shaft 43 is inserted through the aperture 58 and the stud 39 at the other end of the tilting bar is locked in position by the hook |ll| as just described, the wheel 45 is applied to the stub shaft. The plate 55 is providedwith a plurality of indentations 51 (Figure 9) with any one of which a spring pressed detent 58 cooperates to retain the tilting bar C in anyposition to which it'is tilted by actuation of the cable 48.

. The detent 58 is carried in a recess in the wheel 45, as maybe observed in Figure 12, and is urged into engagement with any one of the depresoperative 75 1 longitudinally and interiorly of the bottom bar D is a pipe or bar 85 which rests at its ends against end pieces 88 and 61 which close the ends of the bar, and which are fastened in position in any suitable manner;

Axially movable within the pipe 65 and adjacent its ends, are plungers 68 and 69. Each plunger carries a collar 70 pinned to it, which collars abut the end closures 86 and 61 of the bar. Inturned lugs II are formed in the pipe, inwardly of the ends thereof, against which washers 1'2 rest. Springs 13 are interposed between the collars l8 and washers l2 and function to urge the plungers outwardly of the ends of the bar, with the collars against the end pieces 66 and 61. outwardly of the end pieces 66 and 61, the plungers are provided with rollers I4 and which travel in channel guides 16 and 17, respectively, secured along the stiles of the frame A. The plungers project beyond the rollers, afiording ends 18 which, when the plungers are projected, are adapted to engage underneath the lugs 19 which are struck inwardly from the bottoms of the guides 18 and 11, to thus latch the bottom bar in adjusted position.

For retracting the plungers out of engagement with the lugs, pull cords 88 are attached to the inner ends of the plungers and, at midlength of the bottom bar D, pass over rollers 8| and outwardly through apertures 82' formed in the pipe 65 and the halves 6| and 82 of the bar, where the cords are knotted as at 83 leaving a. handle portion 84 which may be grasped to retract the plungers and thus enable closing of the blind or another set of lugs in the guides.

The upper half Bl of the bottom bar D is provided with elongated slots in register with the slots 3| in the plates 29 and 38 of the tilting bar, whereby the metallic straps l9 and 28 may enter the bottom bar and be secured about the pipe 65, as is shown in Figures 7 and 16. The straps are brought around the pipe 85 and the free end secured to its strap by means of a bolt 85 or like attaching means.

The halves 24 and 25 of the tilting bar C are provided with transversely extending elongated slots 88 and 81, through which the straps |9 and 28 pass, to enable tilting of the bar about its axis, as shown in Figure 7.

The slats E are fashioned from flat sheet metal. In order to rigidify the slats, the side margins thereof are underturned and crimped, as illustrated at 88 'in Figure 5, and along the ends of the slats are reinforcing pieces 89 secured as by welding or in any other suitable manner. This construction therefore rigidifies the slats to such anextent as to prevent the slats from bending or becoming distorted under normal conditions of use.

In order to permit the metallic straps l9 and 20 passing through the several slats, apertures 2| and 22 are formed in the slats in proper spaced relation, with the metal cut away by the formation of the apertures being bent back, as at 95 in Figure 5, to afford rounded surfaces for contact with the metal straps and thus prevent abrasion of the straps. Q Metallic links K are utilized to connect the slats E, the tilting bar C and the bottom bar D in'proper relationship. ,The marg nal portions 88 of the slats, in being rolle'd'back provide for receiving hinge pins to connect the various links KtotheseveralslatsE. I

Every link consists of two members 9| and 92 (Figure 8). which are fashioned from strips of thin flat metal. members 9| and 92 are thesame, so that the description of one will suffice for both. The link member 9| is, at its upper end, formed with three projections 93 which are separted by slots lengthwise of the projections, with shoulders 94 formed near the bases of the slots. ber 9| is formed with projections 95, two in number, which are separated from each other by a slot having, shoulders 96 adjacent the base of the slot. outwardly of each of the projections 95, the metal is cut away, with shoulders 91 outwardly of the projections 95. The projections 93 and 95 are then curled to provide eyes for receiving hinge pins. The two members 9| and 92 of a link are connected together by assembling the members with the rolled over projections 95 entering the bases of the slots between the projections 93 of an adjacent member with a spindle pin 98 passing through the eyes of the rolled over projections, thus forming a hinge.

I The uppermost slat E is connected to the tilting bar C by a par of these hinged links K. The upper'eyes of the upper member 9| receive a hinge pin 28 which at the same time connects together the halves 24 and of the tilting bar. The lower eyes, fashioned as heretofore described, of the member 92 are connected by a hinge pin Hill which extends through the rolled over margins 98 of the uppermost slat E.

In-like manner, the several slats are connected together in parallel relationship. The bottom bar D is connected to the lowermost slat E in the same manner.

By the formation of the shoulders 94, 96 and 91 heretofore mentioned,'hinging movement of the members 9| and 92 of any link is limited to substantially the position shown in full lines in Figure 7. That is to say, these links cannot hinge to such a point as to collapse outwardly of the margins of the slats when the blind is closed.

Figure 10 illustrates in a larger scale the hinged joint heretofore described between a member 9| and a member 92 of a link K, and showing the shoulders out of abutting relationship.

The side guides 16 and I1 extend substantially the full height of the stiles in the frame 'A, stopping short, however, of the lower portions of the bracket members 5| which support the tilting bar C. The reason for this is that the header may be slipped outwardly from its supporting bracket F, and the rollers 14 and 15 of the plungers in the bottom bar are removed from 'the guides, thereby permittingunitary removal of the Venetian blind from the frame in which it is installed.

The blind of the present invention is installed in any frame A, first, by fastening in position the brackets F and the guides 16 and 11, whereupon the blind structure as a unit is applied by inserting the rollers 14 and I5 in the guides 16 and II, respectively, and then sliding the header B inwardly on the ledges I of the brackets F. The blind is then ready for use. In so applying the blind, the tilting bar C has previously been attached to the brackets for supporting it and is latched in position in the' brackets by means of the hook |0|.

As thus installed, the cables or cords 49 extend forwardly and may at their extremities be provided with handles for easy gripping-and for tilting purposes. By reason of the tension placed on the straps l9 and 20 through the medium of the spring I5, the blind is normally maintained in closed position, with all of the slats resting At the other end, the memagainst the tilting bar. When it is desired to open the blind, fully or partially, the handle 84 of the cord is grasped and pulled downwardly,v

which action pulls the bottom bar downwardly and lowers the slats.

If the blind is fully extended, the operator puts his hand on the bottom bar, or if the blind is partly lowered, on the uppermost of the collapsed slats which are against the bottom bar, and're-v leases the pull on the handle 84, whereupon the plungers 68 and 69 are projected into position to underlie adjacent lugs 19 in the guideways, thus latching the bottom bar in desired position. The

bottom bar is held against the lugs because ofthe. fact that the metal straps l9 and 20 are always under tension.

When it is desired to close the die 84 is graspedand pulled, thus retracting the plungers to disengage from underneath the respective lugs I9, whereupon, still maintaining a pulling pressure on the handle, the upper bar is allowed to raise, which raising is accomplished by rotation of the roller G in the proper direction as influenced by its spring l5.

It will be observed that the Venetian blind construction of the present invention utilizes a spring roller for automatically raising or closing the blind when the bottom bar is unlatched from its retaining means in the frame. This action eliminates the usual raising cord employed in Venetian .blinds and, in fact, makes the operation of the blind as simple as that of lowering or raising of a shade of the type now in general use.

The utilization of metallic straps for raising the blind structure enables decoration of these straps in any desired manner. The fact that the b1ind, the ham,

entire blind structure ismade of metal enables quantity production at nominal costs. .A blind constructed in accordancewith the present invention is eflicient protection against fire, as any inflammablematter dropped on the blind will not burn it. The blind of the present invention also lends itself to redecorative purposes at minimum cost.

The invention has been described herein more or less precisely as'to details, yet it is to beunderstood that the invention is not to be limited thereby, as changes may be made in thearange ment and proportion of parts, and equivalents may be substituted, without departing from the spirit arid scope of the invention.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. In a Venetian blind construction, a tilting bar comprising two concavo-convex sheet members removably secured together along their margins and with theconvex surfaces outermost, flat reinforcing plates within said bar extending crosswise and lengthwise thereof in'lengthwise spaced 9 relation, plugs closing the ends of said bar, a supsaid plugand plate to provide longitudinal rigidity, said sheets and plates being apertured for passing raising straps therethrough, andthe apertures in said sheets being longer widthwise of the bar than the apertures in the plates to enable oscillation of said bar about its pivotal support without bending said straps.

2. In a Venetian blind construction, a tilting bers removably secured together along their margins and with the convex surfaces outermost, reinforcing means within said bar, closure means for the ends of the bar, and means projecting outwardly from said closure means serving as centering means for said bar as it tilts.

3. In a Venetian blind construction, a tilting bar comprising'two concavo-convex sheet members arranged with convex surfaces outermost and connected together along their margins by eye and pintle pin joints, closure means for the ends of said bar, and means extending outwardly of said closure means and lying in the longitudinal axis of said bar for engaging cooperating means to therewith serve as the axis of tilt of said bar.

4. In a Venetian blind construction, a tilting bar comprising two concavo-convex sheet members arranged with the convex surfaces outermost and connected together along their margins'byeye and pin joints.

and closure means for the ends of the bar.

5. In a Venetian blindconstruction, aplurality of elongated metallic slats each having its longitudinal margin rolled back to provide pin-receiving sockets with portions of the rolled back margin cut away to define a recess to receive the end of a. hinge link, and metallic hinge links connecting spaced opposed slats to maintain them in connected and parallel relation to each other, said links each having an end entered between rolled back portions of the longitudinal margin of a slat and hinged to said slat.

6. In a Venetian blind construction including a plurality of elongated slats and hinge links hinged to the longitudinal margins of the slats to maintain the slats in superimposed parallel relation to each other, an elongated metallic slat having its longitudinal margin rolled back to define pin-receiving sockets with portions of the rolled back margincut away to receive the end of a hinge link.

. DAVID NEUMANN. 

